The London Olympic Games

The 2012 Olympics take place in London, England, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948. The majority of venues will be divided across London and use will be made of some partially new and temporary venues and structures. The stated goal is not to leave “white elephants”, i.e. large structures that no one will be using after the Games.

The Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Village will be situated in Stratford East London where the expropriation of older buildings, which might be demolished, has sparked controversy. The Olympic Stadium is designed to accommodate 80,000 visitors for the opening and closing celebrations of the Games. It will then be converted into a 25,000 seat sports stadium. Certain sports, such as sailing, will take place outside London. The soccer tournaments will be played on famous soccer fields in Scotland and England.